by Sabrina Sol
Daisy clapped and hugged her again. “Wow, Amara. I can’t believe this is happening. What do you think Brandon said that convinced them to change their minds so fast?”
She’d wondered the same thing. “I don’t know, but I’m going to ask him right now.”
Amara grabbed her phone and called Brandon. He answered after two rings.
“Hey there, new business partner,” he said.
“Is this for real? I still can’t believe it.”
“Well, believe it. Starting next month, your fabulous desserts are going on the weekend menu at L.A. Cuchara.”
“Gosh, Brandon. I don’t even know what to say. First of all, I can’t believe that my dad called you to set this up.”
“Oh, he didn’t call me. I called him.”
“What?”
“I don’t know if you’ve realized this about me yet, but I don’t really like to take no for an answer when it comes to business deals. When you told me you couldn’t go through with our agreement because your parents wouldn’t sign off on it, I figured I needed to meet with them myself and let them know that my proposal was serious. So I invited them to lunch today at my restaurant.”
Amara walked over to the plastic chairs and sat down. “I can’t believe they went!’
“Oh, yeah. They loved it. I made sure they got the VIP treatment, and I had my sister make a couple of her specialty dishes just for them. Seriously, her arroz con pollo is freaking amazing.”
“And that was it? You gave them a great lunch and then they were ready to sign on the dotted line?”
“Well, not exactly. I talked to them for a long time and told them how I thought this partnership would take the bakery to a new level of popularity. And when I knew I had them, that’s when I threw out the ultimatum.”
“Which was?”
“The agreement was only going to happen if they gave you control of the menu and the entire remodel project. I told them that I was basically referring my celebrity clients to your bakery and that meant it had to meet certain expectations.”
“And that did it?”
“Pretty much. Your mom was in as soon as I mentioned a few of the Mexican actors and singers who always come in, and that they had a table right next to them whenever they wanted. And your dad, well, he was looking for a pen once I mentioned tickets to one of the World Cup qualifying games next year.”
Amara couldn’t quite process her shock. The partnership was real. “Unbelievable. Thank you so much, Brandon. I don’t even know how I can repay you.”
“Just make me some amazing desserts. We’re partners now, Amara. And that means my success is your success and vice versa. So get ready, because your life is about to change.”
Her throat knotted and tears wet her eyes. Happiness couldn’t even begin to describe the emotion she was feeling. Her dream was actually going to happen. She was finally going to get what she wanted.
Thoughts turned to Eric and she knew he’d be just as excited as she was. The expanded remodel meant more work for him and more time for the two of them to be together—something else she’d been wanting for a while but never had the courage to tell him.
Until now.
She had to find the perfect moment to bring up the idea of them continuing to see each other even after the remodel was done.
And she knew just how to do it.
Chapter Sixteen
Eric checked his backpack one more time. There were socks, an extra pair of boxer briefs, a pair of jeans, two T-shirts, his toothbrush and toothpaste, and condoms. Lots of condoms.
All of the essentials he’d need for his first overnight date with Amara.
She’d surprised him earlier in the week by telling him that she booked a room for them at a downtown hotel for Sunday night. His dick had been hard for nearly four days just thinking about it, especially since she’d stayed away from him all week. She’d told him that she was busy helping Daisy get ready for one of her parties, but he could tell something else was up.
He was planning to get it out of her tonight. But only after all of the sex.
Eric slung his backpack over his shoulder just as his cell phone rang. He looked down and his eyebrows shot up. He brought the phone to his ear. “Hey Sal, long time no talk.”
“Oh, so you do remember me? I was starting to think you lost my number…on purpose.”
Sal Benavides had been Eric’s main project site manager. It had killed him to have to let Sal go when the company started to bleed money, but his friend had understood and was able to find another job pretty quickly. Sal had even tried to get Eric on the same job but it never worked out, and then Eric left for East L.A. He hadn’t talked to him since.
“Nah, it’s not like that,” Eric told him. “I’ve just been busy. How’s it going?”
“Pretty good, actually. That’s why I’m calling.”
Eric threw his backpack onto a nearby chair and sat on his bed. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I just got hired on as the site manager for a new condo project just outside the Strip. I’m able to bring in some of my own guys for this and I wanted to know if you wanted a spot. It’s a guaranteed gig for at least a year. What do you say?”
Eric stood up and paced his small room. A call like this had been what he’d been waiting for. The chance to get back into the big time, to rebuild his name…and earn enough money to jumpstart his company.
So why wasn’t he saying yes?
“Wow, thanks man. I appreciate you thinking of me.”
“So is that a yes?”
“Well, it’s just that I’m in the middle of another job right now and I probably won’t be finished for awhile.” That wasn’t exactly true. He’d probably be done in three weeks.
“That’s no problem. I wouldn’t need you on site for another two months at least. You can finish up that job, tie up any loose ends, and then come back to Vegas. You can stay on my couch until you find a new place.”
Eric’s head spun. Sal was offering him the perfect chance to put the next phase of his plan into action. There were a thousand reasons why he should take it.
And only one why he shouldn’t.
“Can I think about it for a few days?” He closed his eyes when he said it, afraid to hear the answer.
Sal sighed through the phone. “Uh, I guess. But are you hesitating because you got something better going on over there?”
“No, I don’t have any better jobs lined up here.” That was definitely true.
“So what’s the issue? If it’s money, you know I’m going to do right by you. Don’t even worry about it.”
“I know that. It’s not the money.”
“Then what’s keeping you down there in L.A.?”
Eric didn’t answer because he wasn’t quite sure how to explain it. Instead, he thanked Sal again for the opportunity and promised he’d call him back in a couple of days.
A few weeks ago, this would’ve been a no-brainer. Leaving his abuela would be hard, of course, but it wouldn’t be like before. This time he’d make an effort to visit a few times a month and give his mom money to hire a nurse to take care of her during the day, so that wasn’t the reason he was thinking of turning Sal down.
But this thing with Amara is going to end in a few weeks anyway.
Maybe. Maybe not. They’d grown closer and, for him at least, it was more than just sexual. They’d become friends again. Maybe more.
If he left now, there was no chance he’d know for sure.
Eric grabbed his backpack and headed for the door. He couldn’t think about Sal or Vegas right now. All he wanted to do was spend one very long night with Amara.
And, hopefully, their time together would help him make a decision once and for all.
Chapter Seventeen
Amara blinked at the image staring back at her from the full-length mirror attached to the bathroom door—the face of a woman ready to have sex. Was she imagining the sheen of her dark hair, pink flush of her cheeks, or full
ness of her lips?
She was definitely dressed for the occasion. She’d splurged on a baby-doll nightie that perfectly accentuated the roundness of her cleavage, yet hid the roundness of her middle. The sheer black nylon teased only shadows of her nipples and the dark vee between her thighs. She turned around and looked over her shoulder. The fur-edged hem of the garment barely covered the curves of her bottom.
Although she told herself she’d never be a vixen, Amara had to admit that, standing there in her see-through hundred and twenty dollar nightie, she looked sexy. The feel of her growing arousal surprised her, but she shocked herself even more when she moved her hand to one breast and started caressing and squeezing. Watching herself fondle herself only excited her more and she couldn’t help but reach under the nightgown and slide one finger over her clit.
If there hadn’t been a sexy, virile man waiting for her on the other side of the door, Amara would have gotten herself off right there. The personal moment of her foreplay had done the job of getting her all hot and bothered—and horny enough to do whatever it was that Eric wanted to do.
Scratch that. It was time to make Eric do whatever she wanted to do. Pushing the hotel bathroom door open, she took a deep breath.
He was sitting on the bed, his back straight up against the black vinyl headboard. “Turn around,” he commanded.
Slowly, she turned in a circle and she heard him hiss. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” The hoarseness of his voice surprised and pleased her.
“Do you like?” she said with a drawl.
“I’ll like it more after ripping it off you.”
She made her way to the bed and crawled like a cat alongside his body, sleek and slow. Her gaze locked on his. Intense. Bare. His eyes had transformed into dark pools of desire and they pushed her into new, uncharted depths of wanting. No more wavering. No more hesitation.
Amara knew exactly what she wanted. She had some good news to share and she’d eventually tell him over dinner. But first she wanted dessert.
Reaching over with her right hand, she cupped his jaw and brushed her index finger over his lips. His eyes widened at the lingering scent of her arousal. His mouth opened and she slid her finger inside. “You tasted me. Now I’m going to taste you,” she told him, her voice thick with desire. She kissed and licked her way down his broad chest and hard abdomen. When she reached his briefs, she hooked her fingers on the sides and slid them down over his muscled thighs and calves. She curled her fingers around his thick shaft. It was hot to the touch and she could feel the blood pulsing through the engorged veins. Her fingers slid up, then down its length. A bead of moisture gathered at the tip and she bowed her head and licked it up. Eric’s moans increased her confidence and desire.
When she finally took all of him in her mouth, Eric jerked as if he had been electrocuted. “Oh, God,” he groaned and tangled his fingers in her hair.
She continued sucking and licking, increasing her rhythm.
“Shit, Amara. I can’t take any more. Condom. Now.”
She slid the condom out from under the pillow where she’d stashed it, rolled it into place while he watched her with heated eyes, and then straddled his legs. Eric raised an eyebrow.
“Tonight, I’m on top,” she said, and sank down onto him.
His loud moan drowned out her sigh. “Fuck, yeah, sweetheart,” he gritted out. “Fuck me good.”
His words ignited her and she started moving with purpose. His face contorted with pleasure, building the satisfaction growing inside her. She’d never felt so powerful. So in control. Eric did that to her. Whether it was encouraging her to take over the bakery or to give in to her sexual urges, he made it safe for her to finally take what she wanted. And it thrilled her to no end. She threw her head back in wild abandon and rode him until her sex clenched and she tumbled over the edge with a keening cry.
“God, you’re beautiful when you come,” he rasped from beneath her. “And although I love the view of those breasts bouncing up and down, it’s my turn to fuck you.”
In one swift move, he was on top of her. His mouth slammed against hers, ravaging her tongue, then her neck, and finally her breasts. He nudged her thighs open with his knee and she felt his erection, hot and thick against her thigh. She raised her head to possess his lips once again. They both groaned, grabbing and clawing each other as their kisses turned savage. The peaks of her hardened nipples brushed against his chest, sending her pleasure climbing once more. The need to have him inside her again made her crazy with wild abandon. Nothing mattered more.
“Now, Eric. Now,” she moaned into his mouth.
He pulled away and she could see that desire in his eyes, and her heart soared. “Are you ready for me?”
“Yes, oh God, please, yes.”
His first thrust was hard and deep and they both gasped. Instant pleasure. Then he started to move, slow and methodical. He lowered his body and took one of her nipples in his mouth. The sensation of him inside her combined with his nibbles and licks on her breasts were almost too much. She needed to come.
He continued pumping into her, spreading her legs as far as he could in order to bury himself as deep as possible. She dug her nails into his arms and they crashed together—their combined pleasure creating a smile on her face and warmth in her heart.
Her life had changed so much since Eric had walked back into it. They were good together in and out of bed. That had to mean something, didn’t it?
Amara decided she couldn’t be afraid anymore to find out.
…
Eric couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so full…or so happy. Amara had given him hours of mind-blowing sex. Then they’d devoured a delicious dinner at a tiny hole-in-the wall restaurant in Chinatown.
It made the phone call with Sal that much harder to ignore.
He took a drink of his water and tried to clear his mind. For Amara’s sake. Clearly they were celebrating something big, and it wasn’t every day he got to spend the entire night with her. Hell, this was the first. If anything could block out the offer in Vegas, it was thinking of how much he would enjoy feasting on Amara again as soon as they got back to the hotel room.
But first, to figure out what they were celebrating.
“Okay, so now that dinner’s over, are you going to tell me why we’re here? Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved every single minute of tonight, but I can tell you’re ready to burst with your big news. So spill it.”
An enormous grin spread across her face. “Okay, so you’re not going to believe this but my parents are going to let me go ahead with my plans to revamp the bakery’s menu and we’re going to hold a huge grand re-opening event next month! Isn’t that amazing!”
Eric’s heart soared. He’d never seen her so happy. And that made him happy as well.
“That’s amazing!” That seemed like quite a turnaround for Ricardo and Consuelo, though. Something wasn’t adding up. “So what changed? What made them get on board with everything?”
“Brandon did. Brandon convinced them!”
His muscles tensed. “What do you mean?”
“After I told him I couldn’t sign the agreement because I wasn’t the official owner of the bakery, he called my dad and met with them on his own. Can you believe it?”
“Sounds like they liked him.”
“Of course, they did. Who wouldn’t? And the moment he started name-dropping, they were impressed. So when he mentioned that he wanted to help promote the bakery to his celebrity customers and the offer was only good if they implemented my ideas— ”
“They agreed,” he finished for her.
Her smile faded a bit at the edges. “I’m not going to lie. It’s a lot of pressure. Brandon has faith in me but my parents still don’t. They’re not willing to sell me the bakery yet. But if I can prove to them that I can turn Brandon’s investment into a success, maybe they’ll come around.”
He smiled. “They will. I know it.”
“I hope so.” She leaned
forward, her expression filling with excitement all over again. “God, Eric. This is huge. I never thought I’d get this chance again. I’ll never be able to repay Brandon for this!”
Amara continued to gush about how Brandon had saved the day. On one hand, he was happy that she was going to be able to run the bakery the way she’d dreamed. On the other, he wanted to be the one who made that dream come true. And he hadn’t. And couldn’t.
Sure, he could build a few cabinets and hang a few pieces of drywall. But at the end of the day, it took money to give Amara what she needed. What she deserved. And until he could start his construction company and become a businessman just like Brandon, she’d never consider being with him for longer than an overnight hotel stay.
“Why are you so quiet?” Her voice brought him back to the restaurant. “I just said this means you’ll get to expand the remodel like we talked about. And you still have a job for a few more weeks, so I was thinking we could still hang out?”
Eric went still. His friend has asked him what was tying him to L.A. and he hadn’t been able to answer him because he didn’t know.
Now he did. There’s wasn’t anything keeping him here after all.
Amara had seen the opportunity to expand the remodel as an opportunity to expand their time together, which was great…except she was obviously still planning to end things by the bakery’s grand re-opening. And when things were over, he’d be back exactly where he started.
With nothing.
He’d been so distracted with helping her realize her dream that he’d forgotten about his. Since when did Eric Valencia put a woman’s needs before his own? It was time to start thinking about his future—a future that didn’t include Amara.
“Is something wrong?”
“What? No, of course not. I told you I’m happy for you. I am.” He tried to smile, but failed. “Turns out, I have some news of my own. I may have a new construction job lined up. In Vegas.”